Making connections in the search for rare whiskey actually got me a job at the local bottleshop. I would walk in and chat whiskey with one of the managers every so often until one day when I just asked if they were looking to hire someone. Turns out they were, and a month or two later, I was employed there. Still am to this day, occasionally work the whiskey bar attached to the store, and I've gotten to try everything from Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, every bottle in the Pappy line, lots of Orphan Barrels, and so forth. Once I started working there, I started making connections with all of the shop's regulars in the whiskey business, and I've gotten my hands on a couple rarer bottles that way, like barrel picks of Weller. Best way of getting good, hard-to-find whiskey is by making personal connections with the local shops, hands down.
Let year I found 6 bottles of Henry McKenna single barrel for $30 each at my local grocery store. I cleared em out, kept two for myself, and have the rest away to friends as gifts. It was awesome.
Should have also mentioned the biggest no no in Bourbon hunting. Walking into a store you never buy from or have zero relationship with the workers, and straight up asking for something unobtainable like Pappy. Honestly don't think that has ever worked in the history of bourbon. Dad walked in to Eastman and seen an ORVW on the shelf and bought it. Employee said they had 4 people come in and ask for Pappy by name. They said no pappy, but they have Old RIP Van Winkle. All 4 turned it down, not knowing the difference.
For sure! Hope it works out! I know by state it varies so much that there is hard to be a single piece of advice that works for everyone. Some control states its just as easy as walking into the right store at the right time. In Michigan, distributors control what stores get what allocated bottles based on their prior sales. So a store may have have buy 6 cases of Fireball and 6 more Wheatley Vodkas to even stiff a Buffalo Trace store pick or Eagle Rare pick. Of course they are going to reward those who spend money at their store since it costs them so much to get the bottles in the first place. You are right though unfortunate that it even has to come to that.
No, actually it did work. Last year I bought the 10,12,15 year $299, $499 and too much respectively. Like I said expensive but one stop shop hard to finds was a no brainer for me. I passed on the 20 & 23. Expensive - yes but not crazy. Also bought two bottles of Blanton’s = $150 each.
I’m glad I’ve been in the game before this secondary, rare allocation thing started. Most of the local shops (Michigan) use to have all this stuff just sitting on the shelf. Even today I have a couple of honey holes that still get rare bottles that just sit. Mainly because the area I live is not a heavy bourbon area. My most recent find was Weller 12 at a gas station for 29.99 I posted it on my IG page.
I live in Washington and drive all over Washington, Oregon, and sometimes Idaho (best liquor stores) for work. I always stop at liquor stores I see, especially small ones that look like they don't get much traffic. Recently I just asked an employee about allocated whiskey that might not be on the shelf and I got some Weller for $27. They'd only allow me to buy 1 so I kept going back and now I have 3 bottles.
It finally happened, Visiting my parents, I popped into a local store w/ my 87 yr old Dad. (This is like walking into Cheers with Norm @ this store) Low & behold there's an Old Fitz BiB 15 yr on the shelf for ........drum roll..... $149.99 I snatched that from the shelf with Spiderman like reflex. I remembered this video & had to post this note. Keep the vids coming Gents!
Theres a couple local stores around me that do raffles. The closest store to me is owned by 5 different people, and a friend of mine who works there says they will take all the super allocated ones for themselves. Ive only been able to get a blantons from there. One of the stores that does a raffle, the last one I went to, this guy wins the Booker's 30th. At the end of the raffle, they pull out a surprise bottle which just so happens to be a 93 OFC. Same guy who won the Bookers also gets called for it. I think it cost him around $2700 after tax.
Another way is to trade, I have traded for, 3 bottles of FR 125th, FR Elliott's Select SiB Ltd edition, RHF, Blanton's SFTB, THH, SAOS 10 year SiB CS, EH Taylor BP and just recently, Willett 4 Year Rye, green wax (MGP) and a Rendezvous Rye barrel select Hungarian cask for 1 ETL. Amazingly most of the bottles were traded for the last of my CR Cask 16 bottles which carry quite a collector market in the US, why I don't know. Great video!
I stumbled into Smoke Wagon and Michter’s American this past week. Just kind of happens sometimes if you go into enough liquor stores and just look around.
I was hoping this whole video was just going to be thorough directions to Dan's house and the code to the door. Massive disappointment. So unprofessional! 😅😂🤣
BJ's Great subject. Numero B is probably the best, since you will enjoy doing it = going in and meeting and talking with the owner and staff. Get to know them and talk about favorites and why, etc. Make friends. Understand how they handle the rare stuff, we have 3 stores with the same owner, two put the special bottles on a special shelf next to the register and the other says he puts it out on the shelf, general population . Some keep in a back room. Some have a sign up list you need to get your name on. BUT understand, this is a business so those that spend the most money (restaurants included) at the liquor stores get first choice. Don't think if only 3 bottles come in, all 3 go out on the shelf as a First Come, First Served. Be prepared = I'm not sure if all lotteries / raffles are honest and equal. But Letter 5 is also IMPORTANT = hit the bricks and look, look and look. It's fun when you hit a Grand Slam!!
I'll agree so much that developing relationships are the best. I've only had maybe 2 bad interactions with people out talking, I don't go back and it is what it is. More often than not people love talking to people if you don't start the conversation with, "you guys got any pappy?"
I love picking for bourbon. You get to meet a lot of people and learn about towns. Don’t ask for allocated bottles immediately. Make multiple trips, spark conversations, then on the 3rd or 4th trip throw out the “hey have you ever seen this”. Way better luck
I found a bottle of 2016 Birthday Bourbon at a Publix liquor store near my house. My wife went into the grocery store to shop and went next door to look at all of the liquor. Had no intentions of buying anything because their whiskey selection is pretty much the standard varieties. Happened to look up and saw the bottle sitting up on the very top of the shelving like where they store the extra stuff. Didn’t really know what it was but was smart enough to recognize that it was important enough for someone to put it off to the side by itself. I grabbed it and paid around $78, if I remember correctly. Best find I’ve ever made. Right place at the right time.
Making the connections to store owners and fellow bourbon drinkers is by far the best way imo. Can meet some cool people along the way. Decided to do some hunting today and found a Wild Turkey Masters Keep Decades in port huron at retail. It was sitting right out in front of the counter, on top of a cooler that held pre-made deli sandwiches. Good tips, great video 👍
Walked into an excellent whiskey bar in Connecticut last week and saw Weller 107, EH Taylor, and Henry McKenna. To the left of the McKenna was a bottle I had never seen before with a bearded old man on it. I asked to see the bottle and sure enough it was Old Rip Van Winkle. Incredibly it was only $16. Bar tab stung slightly, but it was a great night!
Find a local store and patronize them. Then ask when their shipments come in. There’s one I hit up every week in the AM. Sometimes they don’t get any allocated, but many times I score a nice bottle. Got several bottles of Blanton’s that way for $70 and last week landed a bottle of Midwinter Might’s Dram A9 S4 for $99. Lots of other stuff too. The hunt gets kind of addicting.
Walked into a Kroger liquor store, randomly asked the clerk if they had any Weller. She replies that she had one left, walks in the back, and reappears with a bottle of Weller 12 year. I walked out paying only $28 for the bottle. It's the only time I've seen Weller 12 in the wild. I also went into a shady liquor store in Louisville and stumbled across some discontinued Jim Beam 7 year. Bought two bottles, drank one, kept the other for my collection.
Just picked up old Fitz 15 , Weller antique , and 2 bottles of Blanton's . All same place , and all about developing that relationship with a local store 😉
Personally liked the video. I think the thing people are forgetting is that locating rare bourbons/whiskies is not an exact science, therefore all you can do is share the ways you have been successful. I feel as if the people complaining on this thread are just mad that they haven’t had much. Now on to my bourbon story: I’ve had most luck with two ways, hunting and building relationships. Being regular and personable are very good ways to earn favor with store owners and has helped me gain several rare bottles. It is also cool because you are essentially gaining friends with the same interests! But my favorite way has to be hunting/working the phone lines. A lot more work but in my opinion such a sense of achievement especially if you are looking for something specific. Just this month I scored a bottle of the 2020 Double Eagle Very Rare! All by dialing numbers and pounding the road! It ain’t easy but it’s worth it in the end. My advice to everyone in the game, stay determined and utilize your resources..these bottles are out inevitably out there and waiting to be discovered by a lucky soul.
I keep getting calls asking for all kinds of buffalo trace products. It kills me inside knowing that all they do is probably sit home and call every store around. Coming from someone who works at a store please listen to Dan and Sean.
On vacation in st Augustine, FL. AFTER 6 months and dozens of stores finally found Lagavulin Nick Offerman edition while on vacation. That was a good trip.
I just won a NH lottery for a bottle of Elmer T. Lee. I recently found a bottle of The Hakushu 12 on the shelf at my regular Total Wine. I always look at liquor stores when I'm traveling for work and came back from VA with a bottle of OWA 107 found on the shelf.
@@theswag5997Nice, thanks. Well it's good to hear that the wholesale hasn't actually increased so there's a chance of it coming back down...charging double retail for wholesale though SMH.
People that visit liquor stores in the bad part of town aren't normally looking for hard to find bottles. I have generally had good success with this practice.
The first thing I've had to do is know what to look for. When you find a Wellers at an obscure store, it might help to know if that is difficult to find - and what price might be appropriate.
your list is spot on. your chances are better if you're very social and talk to the people working at the stores, joining whiskey groups online where people share where they find things, and having friends that will let you know where they've been lucky. if you're not social then find out when and where store lotteries are and just travel. you can find great bottles in little mom and pop stores in small towns. one store will try to price gouge you and another down the road will have it the cheapest you've ever seen. one store in my home town had some bottles like weller 12 and rock hill for 7X msrp and others like eh taylor single, small, and rye at msrp. state run stores are great for getting good prices at msrp and having a lottery system. being at the store when they're getting deliveries helps sometimes because a case of blantons was already "sold" except for one bottle while being unloaded and you can get that last bottle. bottom line is that it takes effort, time, connections, and luck.
Definitely building a relationship with your local store. Unfortunately my store is in a tourist area and many tourist think they can just waltz in and ask for Blantons, Buffalo, EH, ETL, and Eagle Rare, I will immediately tell them we don’t have it. But if that tourist doesn’t immediately leave and spends some money then I’ll help them out with something.
It is interesting the discussions you can have with owners and managers . A place I stop in every 6 months or so since his prices on unique bottlings can be 1.5 to 2X MSRP. I asked Phil what he thought of a certain bourbon and his response was, "I don't drink liquor anymore since my first wife shot me 5 times." He explained he was in hospital and recovery for a long time. Didn't know what to say next, so mumbled something like glad he was still alive and had a number of good offerings, but not in my budget so I moseyed on out of the store. I guess I gotta go back and hear some more.
When I was in the Navy back in the 80s I met one of my friends parents. Dad didn't drink anymore since the night Mom shot him 6 times with a .22. He watched his son and I pound down the bourbon with lust in his eyes but he didn't slip, he knew better.
kind of weird imho to hang out at the state controlled store here in NC - maybe by the wanted posters would be a place to hang out - fyi it is illegal in nc to drink in the ABC stores...
Relationships, relationships, relationships!!! They will tell you when they have rarities when they don't have them out! You won't even be looking for it, and you walk out with it!
Just found a Midwinters Night Dram for 99.99. $30below msrp in some neighborhood package store in Maryland that sells so little of it they must have forgot to update their pricing. Win for me
duty free in international airports.. or like me and looking in the wine room of my market in Cambodia I shopped at every week for 18 months and finding a glass case of champagnes with premium Scotch Whiskies AND 6 bottles of Elijah Craig 12 year old discontinued...just sitting there waiting for someone to stumble upon it.. I bought 5...going back tomorrow for number 6....
the travel tip is a good one- work, vacation, or just going for a long drive. totally agree about stopping at those shady spots in the country. all that said, these days I like hunting for store picks of more common things than the unicorns. I was actually up in Michigan for three weeks this month on vacation and found some good ones up your way.
Walked into a PA Fine Wine store about 9 months ago and they had just unboxed E. H. Taylor Small Batch and Blanton's so I got 2 Blanton's and one Taylor. I should have gotten 2 of each. Just pure luck, particularly in PA where it's impossible to find rare bourbons.
Oh yeah, I get around town a lot so when I'm near a store and have time I just pop in. If they're friendly I genuinely socialize, take a look around, and ultimately ask if they've gotten anything interesting or allocated in. I have a few places that I frequent though and that can be awesome. I share samples, make friends, it's all genuine and a good time. Recently I asked about Old Ezra 7 cask strength, turned out it was hidden in the basement and "wasn't supposed to be sold" but she dug it out for me and told me about some others down there including Fitz(glad I'd watched your review first). It's a good time and since I started doing this my collection has gotten far better. The little dumps are iffy though, lots of them hardly even carry liquor; apparently wine is extremely popular in the hood lol. Both of my Stagg Jrs came from hole in the walls though...*cough*
Fred, Great stories. Same kinda thing for me on the OE 117 BS = was talking with the manager and you could tell he was having a rough day. When asking about anything new or interesting, he would say, "Check the list" that was posted on what specials they had. As we talked in general, he asked if I was interested in the OE 117 and I said SURE. He brought a bottle out of the back room. I asked what his other customers thought of this juice and he said, "Haven't heard anything," since that was the only bottle he had. Walking to the register I was smiling since this wasn't on the list he kept telling me look at. Maybe because he only received the one bottle? Ya gotta engage the staff and NOT just ask if they have Blantons and then walk out.
@@djbeacon6895 Thanks man, likewise. You're spot on with that. That's funny that we had such similar experiences with the same bottle lol. Had my first outright negative experience today though :/. I greeted the presumed owner when I walked in(he was preoccupied putzing on the computer). I perused the shelves, found nothing I needed, thanked him and wished him a good day..."That's it?! You're not gonna buy anything?!??"....I just told him he didn't have anything I needed and reiterated my well wishes. Frankly I feel bad for the guy that he's in that crappy of a situation. On a positive not I found Woodford Batch Proof for $86.99, gotta go back for it on Tuesday due to a pricing error in the system though lol.
This past weekend I traveled to MA and a 2017 Booker’s caught my eye. As I looked at it, I saw a lone EHT Rye out of the corner of my eye hidden behind 8 Small Batches. Never seen Rye in the wild before. Snatched it up
Nice. I've only seen it twice...I thought once but when I was looking through my finds list I saw it on there. I passed it up at $75, gonna check back with that other store though. I had a pour the other night at a bar in a rocks glass and it was quite nice, however at that price I'd take Willett 4yr. Nice spice and fairly fruity, reminded me of Pikesville but spicier and a bit brighter. Have you tried it yet?
@@theswag5997 Ditto, I've seen the SiB a few times but it's $70 and I almost always hear that it's the same or WORSE than the SmB. I'm not feeling taking bad odds to try and get a honey barrel. Maybe once I run out of new things to buy...or if I hear about more honey barrels.
@@Fred_Gilbert The SiB was $65 in OR, but I was weighed down by bottles of Westland and Westward. If I ever find it at my local Total Wine for under $60, I'll probably pull the trigger.
@@theswag5997 Never heard of those, something local i presume? Yeah I would too, our Total is pretty new though so they're lower on the list for some allocations. The app says it's $55 here so if I see it there I'd take it for that.
Saw Heaven Hill had Old fitz 16 on a Wednesday night. In less than an hour we were packed and on the road for a 10hr road trip. Drove straight thru got the HH by opening and was able to buy 2 bottles of Old Fitz16. We decided to take the longer way home and drive thru Ohio, due to seeing Ohio. Gets the Weller! After 18 successful store but over 30 stores in total. We ended up with a car of red and a case of green. All this was one bother at a time from each store. I bought one husband bought one. We also ended up with 2 green handles. Now we have enough ton to worry about not finding any as well as some for our company Christmas party! 🤣🤣 love traveling for the hunt! It’s fun. We are friends with our local liquor store owners and he can’t even get anything for him personally! 😩
I did not realize there was that much whiskey in the town where cell phone reception ends before heading north to TC. Pretty orange flowers though on Eastman. I do option 5 as well, just down the entire I-75 to Florida, as well into Canada. It may seem hokey, but I got 4 bottles of WA 107 for $32 CAD each! That is like a 5th grader's daily lunch money each in the US!
Best success has been store loyalty. Local store gives you points for every dollar you spend. When Rare bottles come they give them a point value based on rarity, you cash in those points and buy it at retail price. Purchased a Old Fitz 13, Michters Barrel Strength Rye, Michters Barrel Strength Bourbon yesterday by cashing in my points at the right time.
Living in the UK there’s only 1 option and that’s to pay through the nose. Very limited bourbon on general sale, Jim beam white label and occasional wild turkey in the supermarkets. Most of the bourbon I get is through specialist stores and online. Mark up is ridiculous. Just paid £80 for an early times bib 😳( Sean I hope it’s going to be worth it)
Came across you guys recently. Enjoy the content so I subscribed. EHT 18 year in June was announced yesterday by BT. I'm assuming that one is gonna be incredibly difficult to get. Thanks for the videos!
Yea we'll do all the black.magic voodoo we can to try and see one. It'll be a heck of a long shot because we dont see the rest of the taylor line around here much. Also, glad to have you here!
Still my favs, fellas! ....still my favs Corky Taylor is a (distant) friend of mine. Crazy good guy. I haven't had the Peerless bourbon yet, but the rye, I like. (Except for the price point... but I understand, when starting back up!) Good review, and keep kicking ass. Too many folks come off as pretentious, and you ain't it! If we ever meet, first dram (or three) are on me!
Ignore the big liquor stores that list their stuff on Instagram or on a website, ignore the Total Wine & More’s, the Costco’s anything well known, etc. you’ll only rarely get anything there unless in a raffle or you’re a big spender they know by name and so hold stuff for. Best way I’ve found rarer bourbon for relatively cheap prices is at smaller, random liquor stores, both in bad areas and good areas. Many of these smaller store owners are not hip to true market prices for bourbon because their revenue comes from cigarettes, lotto tickets and beer, so they just sell bourbon close to MSRP or a little higher, simply because they don’t know any better. I’ve found Stagg Jr, Weller, and surprisingly Elijah Craig barrel proof batches from 2017-18 all within the past 2 months way below local market prices and either at or just a little higher than MSRP at random small liquor stores. It takes time to hunt but you can find gold this way.
Hear are some other ways 1- Facebook groups, 2. US Whiskey Auctions HDH, Skinner, Acker Merrill, 3. UK Auctions SWA Whisky Auctioneer, 4 US sites that ship Caskers, Mad, KL, 5 European sites that ship - The Whiskey exchange. 6 Bottle-spot if it ever comes back.
With all the trade war shit going on do you think we will see more of the harder to find bourbon that was allocated to be shipped to other countries start showing up here on the US market or will the distillery’s just sit on it ?
Bourbon Junkies I live right in the middle of most of the major distillery’s in Kentucky . I have been getting bourbon from local liquor stores that I’ve been doing business with for years , most of them are close friends . I’ve never bought bourbon on a secondary market I’ve all ways been able to find most anything that I was looking for , a lot of which I’ve heard you say you can’t find where you live you can find here if your willing to
I would say that "worthwhile" depends on the bottle, price, and the person. I've paid 180 for a Boone County Single Barrel, Barrel Strength Store pick. Best bottle I own and would spend that again in a heartbeat. Would I spend the $350 they are asking for the same bottle now? Not a chance.
We find secondary worth it when bottles don't come to your state and you can't get them otherwise (especially when those bottles are near retail on secondary because they aren't rare in the states they are in)
Another, somewhat unethical, way that I've managed to get rare whisk(e)y is finding a restaurant/bar where the staff isn't all that knowledgeable about product. I was getting pours of George T. Stagg for Stagg Jr. prices.
Look at that beautiful green and gold shirt!!! So you live in Michigan, you always talk about randy moss 🤢 and now wearing a packers shirt. What is it man? Lol, are you a yupper??? That’s the only way it’ll make sense? 😊 loving the channel and just found it and hooked, that’s why I’m flipping through all of the vids!
Ya man. PA blows chunks like that. I tried option # whatever it was to get in the car and I took a trip to NJ. Planned out a 3 store loop that turned into a 5 store loop. My wallet was much lighter afterwards, but I came home with Willets, Rowan Creek, Redbreast 12, Michters American, Eagle Rare, Henry McKenna BiB, Maker's FAE-01, and the creme de la creme for me was Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B520. There were lots more I left on the shelf, but my starter whiskey collection went from 5-6 bottles to 14+ in one day of driving around. It was pretty cool. I also found my store I'll be trying to build that relationship with. It's 45 minutes one-way, but there's no getting anything the whole state of PA can buy otherwise.
@@WhiskeyAmadan_OH my grandparents live in NJ so I always stop by the liquor store for stuff. Got a huge bottle of Buffalo Trace, Old Forester 1920, and a bottle of kilbeggan 18 year for my dad. Always a good time.
No super crazy stories, but I did randomly walk into a liquor store while I was travelling one time and found Weller Special Reserve for $23 so I bought two bottles as that was what I could afford at the time. Plus the store had a cap of 2 bottles per customer. Opened one but drinking it slowly, sitting on the other because they're the best thing I have right now. Live in the middle of nowhere (OH) so it's hard to find stuff!
Lol I’m sorry but if I’m dropping $100 on bourbon, I want the full bottle...not a 6 way split of a bottle. I totally get why some people would do it, but I can buy a Blanton’s AND a Stagg Jr for that price here in Oregon. 100 bucks for 1/6th of a Taylor single barrel...hard pass.
If Google for bourbon release calenders, most stuff is listed there with when they come out. Outside of the regulars (Btac, pappy's, Parker's heritage, ect) "rare" is kind of subjective.
As someone who handles a store's whiskey allocations, please don't walk into a store you've never been to, ask for Blanton's, Weller or whatever and then just walk out if they don't have it. I believe this is a main contribution to stores raising their prices. Be cool, buy something else, shoot the shit and while you're making your purchase ask if they ever get allocated bottles. If they do, ask if they would give you a call next time they get something cool. After dealign with cherry pickers and noobs all week, the breath of fresh air will be appreciated and you will be surprised how far it gets you.
i dig your vids. im in china. californian. decided to get some barrel proofs and stuff. how can i tell if it is legit whiskey or fake chinese? can you msg me or direct me on that?
Not to be that guy, but you guys also forgot to mention; never call the store and ask directly for rare bottles. I don't know why people think it's a good idea, but I promise you that you will get told no every single time even if they have it. I work at a liquor store and I get at least 3 calls a day asking for Blantons or Pappy and it's very annoying. I dont have it and even if I did, I have other good bottles that people might be interested in if they were to just come look.
Making connections in the search for rare whiskey actually got me a job at the local bottleshop. I would walk in and chat whiskey with one of the managers every so often until one day when I just asked if they were looking to hire someone. Turns out they were, and a month or two later, I was employed there. Still am to this day, occasionally work the whiskey bar attached to the store, and I've gotten to try everything from Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, every bottle in the Pappy line, lots of Orphan Barrels, and so forth. Once I started working there, I started making connections with all of the shop's regulars in the whiskey business, and I've gotten my hands on a couple rarer bottles that way, like barrel picks of Weller. Best way of getting good, hard-to-find whiskey is by making personal connections with the local shops, hands down.
instablaster.
Let year I found 6 bottles of Henry McKenna single barrel for $30 each at my local grocery store. I cleared em out, kept two for myself, and have the rest away to friends as gifts. It was awesome.
NICE!
I drank some today paid 50 retail for it this is def a W
Totally depends on the Barrell. The ones I've had are meh at best.
Should have also mentioned the biggest no no in Bourbon hunting. Walking into a store you never buy from or have zero relationship with the workers, and straight up asking for something unobtainable like Pappy. Honestly don't think that has ever worked in the history of bourbon. Dad walked in to Eastman and seen an ORVW on the shelf and bought it. Employee said they had 4 people come in and ask for Pappy by name. They said no pappy, but they have Old RIP Van Winkle. All 4 turned it down, not knowing the difference.
Definitely a good point. I know that's a good way to piss off and annoy store owners.
For sure! Hope it works out! I know by state it varies so much that there is hard to be a single piece of advice that works for everyone. Some control states its just as easy as walking into the right store at the right time. In Michigan, distributors control what stores get what allocated bottles based on their prior sales. So a store may have have buy 6 cases of Fireball and 6 more Wheatley Vodkas to even stiff a Buffalo Trace store pick or Eagle Rare pick. Of course they are going to reward those who spend money at their store since it costs them so much to get the bottles in the first place. You are right though unfortunate that it even has to come to that.
No, actually it did work. Last year I bought the 10,12,15 year $299, $499 and too much respectively. Like I said expensive but one stop shop hard to finds was a no brainer for me. I passed on the 20 & 23. Expensive - yes but not crazy. Also bought two bottles of Blanton’s = $150 each.
I’m glad I’ve been in the game before this secondary, rare allocation thing started. Most of the local shops (Michigan) use to have all this stuff just sitting on the shelf. Even today I have a couple of honey holes that still get rare bottles that just sit. Mainly because the area I live is not a heavy bourbon area. My most recent find was Weller 12 at a gas station for 29.99 I posted it on my IG page.
See a W12 for 30 is about right imo! It's the Dre to find some of those dustys. Cheers!
I have 9-10 stores I roll through on a semi-regular basis(I'm in a wheelchair). I got ORVW from my favorite store at retail. Relationships are great.
Damn 9 or 10! Do you buy every time?
@@ra0333 I do not buy every time. Probably half of the time I leave empty handed.
I live in Washington and drive all over Washington, Oregon, and sometimes Idaho (best liquor stores) for work. I always stop at liquor stores I see, especially small ones that look like they don't get much traffic.
Recently I just asked an employee about allocated whiskey that might not be on the shelf and I got some Weller for $27. They'd only allow me to buy 1 so I kept going back and now I have 3 bottles.
It finally happened, Visiting my parents, I popped into a local store w/ my 87 yr old Dad. (This is like walking into Cheers with Norm @ this store) Low & behold there's an Old Fitz BiB 15 yr on the shelf for ........drum roll..... $149.99 I snatched that from the shelf with Spiderman like reflex. I remembered this video & had to post this note. Keep the vids coming Gents!
I found Blantons and Rock Hill Farms at Meijer of all places on 2 different occasions.
What did you pay for the Blantons?
Meijer doesn't usually upcharge so I'd guess 60
No way....really???
Meijer rocks.
Theres a couple local stores around me that do raffles. The closest store to me is owned by 5 different people, and a friend of mine who works there says they will take all the super allocated ones for themselves. Ive only been able to get a blantons from there. One of the stores that does a raffle, the last one I went to, this guy wins the Booker's 30th. At the end of the raffle, they pull out a surprise bottle which just so happens to be a 93 OFC. Same guy who won the Bookers also gets called for it. I think it cost him around $2700 after tax.
That is one lucky human being! Wonder what he did for all that bourbon karma
Bourbon Junkies I don’t know but I need to find out. That was the same raffle that I got called next to last lol
Another way is to trade, I have traded for, 3 bottles of FR 125th, FR Elliott's Select SiB Ltd edition, RHF, Blanton's SFTB, THH, SAOS 10 year SiB CS, EH Taylor BP and just recently, Willett 4 Year Rye, green wax (MGP) and a Rendezvous Rye barrel select Hungarian cask for 1 ETL. Amazingly most of the bottles were traded for the last of my CR Cask 16 bottles which carry quite a collector market in the US, why I don't know.
Great video!
I stumbled into Smoke Wagon and Michter’s American this past week. Just kind of happens sometimes if you go into enough liquor stores and just look around.
I was hoping this whole video was just going to be thorough directions to Dan's house and the code to the door. Massive disappointment. So unprofessional! 😅😂🤣
Hahahahaha this comment made my day!
BJ's Great subject. Numero B is probably the best, since you will enjoy doing it = going in and meeting and talking with the owner and staff. Get to know them and talk about favorites and why, etc. Make friends. Understand how they handle the rare stuff, we have 3 stores with the same owner, two put the special bottles on a special shelf next to the register and the other says he puts it out on the shelf, general population . Some keep in a back room. Some have a sign up list you need to get your name on. BUT understand, this is a business so those that spend the most money (restaurants included) at the liquor stores get first choice. Don't think if only 3 bottles come in, all 3 go out on the shelf as a First Come, First Served. Be prepared = I'm not sure if all lotteries / raffles are honest and equal. But Letter 5 is also IMPORTANT = hit the bricks and look, look and look. It's fun when you hit a Grand Slam!!
I'll agree so much that developing relationships are the best. I've only had maybe 2 bad interactions with people out talking, I don't go back and it is what it is. More often than not people love talking to people if you don't start the conversation with, "you guys got any pappy?"
I love picking for bourbon. You get to meet a lot of people and learn about towns. Don’t ask for allocated bottles immediately. Make multiple trips, spark conversations, then on the 3rd or 4th trip throw out the “hey have you ever seen this”. Way better luck
I found a bottle of 2016 Birthday Bourbon at a Publix liquor store near my house. My wife went into the grocery store to shop and went next door to look at all of the liquor. Had no intentions of buying anything because their whiskey selection is pretty much the standard varieties. Happened to look up and saw the bottle sitting up on the very top of the shelving like where they store the extra stuff. Didn’t really know what it was but was smart enough to recognize that it was important enough for someone to put it off to the side by itself. I grabbed it and paid around $78, if I remember correctly. Best find I’ve ever made. Right place at the right time.
Making the connections to store owners and fellow bourbon drinkers is by far the best way imo. Can meet some cool people along the way. Decided to do some hunting today and found a Wild Turkey Masters Keep Decades in port huron at retail. It was sitting right out in front of the counter, on top of a cooler that held pre-made deli sandwiches. Good tips, great video 👍
Walked into an excellent whiskey bar in Connecticut last week and saw Weller 107, EH Taylor, and Henry McKenna. To the left of the McKenna was a bottle I had never seen before with a bearded old man on it. I asked to see the bottle and sure enough it was Old Rip Van Winkle. Incredibly it was only $16. Bar tab stung slightly, but it was a great night!
Solid bar night if you can get ORVW for $16 a pour
What bar is this?
@@charlesabrams3828 In Enfield CT.
@@GOPA90 what place in enfield?!
@@chrisspence9317 The Yardehouse on Rte 5. Price went up to $21.
Find a local store and patronize them. Then ask when their shipments come in. There’s one I hit up every week in the AM. Sometimes they don’t get any allocated, but many times I score a nice bottle. Got several bottles of Blanton’s that way for $70 and last week landed a bottle of Midwinter Might’s Dram A9 S4 for $99. Lots of other stuff too. The hunt gets kind of addicting.
Walked into a Kroger liquor store, randomly asked the clerk if they had any Weller. She replies that she had one left, walks in the back, and reappears with a bottle of Weller 12 year. I walked out paying only $28 for the bottle. It's the only time I've seen Weller 12 in the wild. I also went into a shady liquor store in Louisville and stumbled across some discontinued Jim Beam 7 year. Bought two bottles, drank one, kept the other for my collection.
Just picked up old Fitz 15 , Weller antique , and 2 bottles of Blanton's . All same place , and all about developing that relationship with a local store 😉
You got the best decanter for sure, and can't argue with getting an OWA.
Personally liked the video. I think the thing people are forgetting is that locating rare bourbons/whiskies is not an exact science, therefore all you can do is share the ways you have been successful. I feel as if the people complaining on this thread are just mad that they haven’t had much.
Now on to my bourbon story: I’ve had most luck with two ways, hunting and building relationships. Being regular and personable are very good ways to earn favor with store owners and has helped me gain several rare bottles. It is also cool because you are essentially gaining friends with the same interests! But my favorite way has to be hunting/working the phone lines. A lot more work but in my opinion such a sense of achievement especially if you are looking for something specific. Just this month I scored a bottle of the 2020 Double Eagle Very Rare! All by dialing numbers and pounding the road!
It ain’t easy but it’s worth it in the end. My advice to everyone in the game, stay determined and utilize your resources..these bottles are out inevitably out there and waiting to be discovered by a lucky soul.
I keep getting calls asking for all kinds of buffalo trace products. It kills me inside knowing that all they do is probably sit home and call every store around. Coming from someone who works at a store please listen to Dan and Sean.
On vacation in st Augustine, FL. AFTER 6 months and dozens of stores finally found Lagavulin Nick Offerman edition while on vacation. That was a good trip.
that stuff is legit
I just won a NH lottery for a bottle of Elmer T. Lee. I recently found a bottle of The Hakushu 12 on the shelf at my regular Total Wine. I always look at liquor stores when I'm traveling for work and came back from VA with a bottle of OWA 107 found on the shelf.
An added bonus of shopping for whisk(e)y while traveling for work is that the boss pays for the checked bag.
What was the price on that Elmer? Here in Denver the WHOLESALE is up in the 70s from what I've heard so far, retail$115-130....HARD pass.
@@Fred_Gilbert $37.99
@@theswag5997Nice, thanks. Well it's good to hear that the wholesale hasn't actually increased so there's a chance of it coming back down...charging double retail for wholesale though SMH.
@@Fred_Gilbert Despite the shortcomings, I've generally found price to be a good aspect when it comes to control states.
I constantly stay on the hunt! If I go somewhere new the first thing I look for is the liquor store.
Hit a shady liquor store yesterday and scored a Blanton's & a Weller Antique.
Always a good feeling
People that visit liquor stores in the bad part of town aren't normally looking for hard to find bottles. I have generally had good success with this practice.
Somehow managed to snag 4 Batch 12 Stagg jrs (132 .3) last week from one store for $69 each. Been a hot month.
@@ArticBeatle agreed. My best finds are from small, bad neighborhood liquor stores.
The first thing I've had to do is know what to look for. When you find a Wellers at an obscure store, it might help to know if that is difficult to find - and what price might be appropriate.
That's a good idea! Usually if you are looking for rare whiskey it's because you know what is rare though!
your list is spot on. your chances are better if you're very social and talk to the people working at the stores, joining whiskey groups online where people share where they find things, and having friends that will let you know where they've been lucky. if you're not social then find out when and where store lotteries are and just travel. you can find great bottles in little mom and pop stores in small towns. one store will try to price gouge you and another down the road will have it the cheapest you've ever seen. one store in my home town had some bottles like weller 12 and rock hill for 7X msrp and others like eh taylor single, small, and rye at msrp. state run stores are great for getting good prices at msrp and having a lottery system. being at the store when they're getting deliveries helps sometimes because a case of blantons was already "sold" except for one bottle while being unloaded and you can get that last bottle. bottom line is that it takes effort, time, connections, and luck.
Definitely building a relationship with your local store. Unfortunately my store is in a tourist area and many tourist think they can just waltz in and ask for Blantons, Buffalo, EH, ETL, and Eagle Rare, I will immediately tell them we don’t have it. But if that tourist doesn’t immediately leave and spends some money then I’ll help them out with something.
It is interesting the discussions you can have with owners and managers . A place I stop in every 6 months or so since his prices on unique bottlings can be 1.5 to 2X MSRP. I asked Phil what he thought of a certain bourbon and his response was, "I don't drink liquor anymore since my first wife shot me 5 times." He explained he was in hospital and recovery for a long time. Didn't know what to say next, so mumbled something like glad he was still alive and had a number of good offerings, but not in my budget so I moseyed on out of the store. I guess I gotta go back and hear some more.
Hahahaha that's amazing
When I was in the Navy back in the 80s I met one of my friends parents. Dad didn't drink anymore since the night Mom shot him 6 times with a .22. He watched his son and I pound down the bourbon with lust in his eyes but he didn't slip, he knew better.
kind of weird imho to hang out at the state controlled store here in NC - maybe by the wanted posters would be a place to hang out - fyi it is illegal in nc to drink in the ABC stores...
I have found that in my county in nc they have a mailing list for United release bottles - best option I have found so far
Relationships, relationships, relationships!!! They will tell you when they have rarities when they don't have them out! You won't even be looking for it, and you walk out with it!
Just found a Midwinters Night Dram for 99.99. $30below msrp in some neighborhood package store in Maryland that sells so little of it they must have forgot to update their pricing. Win for me
duty free in international airports..
or like me and looking in the wine room of my market in Cambodia I shopped at every week for 18 months and finding a glass case of champagnes with premium Scotch Whiskies AND 6 bottles of Elijah Craig 12 year old discontinued...just sitting there waiting for someone to stumble upon it..
I bought 5...going back tomorrow for number 6....
the travel tip is a good one- work, vacation, or just going for a long drive. totally agree about stopping at those shady spots in the country. all that said, these days I like hunting for store picks of more common things than the unicorns. I was actually up in Michigan for three weeks this month on vacation and found some good ones up your way.
Walked into a PA Fine Wine store about 9 months ago and they had just unboxed E. H. Taylor Small Batch and Blanton's so I got 2 Blanton's and one Taylor. I should have gotten 2 of each. Just pure luck, particularly in PA where it's impossible to find rare bourbons.
Oh yeah, I get around town a lot so when I'm near a store and have time I just pop in. If they're friendly I genuinely socialize, take a look around, and ultimately ask if they've gotten anything interesting or allocated in. I have a few places that I frequent though and that can be awesome. I share samples, make friends, it's all genuine and a good time. Recently I asked about Old Ezra 7 cask strength, turned out it was hidden in the basement and "wasn't supposed to be sold" but she dug it out for me and told me about some others down there including Fitz(glad I'd watched your review first). It's a good time and since I started doing this my collection has gotten far better. The little dumps are iffy though, lots of them hardly even carry liquor; apparently wine is extremely popular in the hood lol. Both of my Stagg Jrs came from hole in the walls though...*cough*
Fred, Great stories. Same kinda thing for me on the OE 117 BS = was talking with the manager and you could tell he was having a rough day. When asking about anything new or interesting, he would say, "Check the list" that was posted on what specials they had. As we talked in general, he asked if I was interested in the OE 117 and I said SURE. He brought a bottle out of the back room. I asked what his other customers thought of this juice and he said, "Haven't heard anything," since that was the only bottle he had. Walking to the register I was smiling since this wasn't on the list he kept telling me look at. Maybe because he only received the one bottle? Ya gotta engage the staff and NOT just ask if they have Blantons and then walk out.
@@djbeacon6895 Thanks man, likewise. You're spot on with that. That's funny that we had such similar experiences with the same bottle lol. Had my first outright negative experience today though :/. I greeted the presumed owner when I walked in(he was preoccupied putzing on the computer). I perused the shelves, found nothing I needed, thanked him and wished him a good day..."That's it?! You're not gonna buy anything?!??"....I just told him he didn't have anything I needed and reiterated my well wishes. Frankly I feel bad for the guy that he's in that crappy of a situation. On a positive not I found Woodford Batch Proof for $86.99, gotta go back for it on Tuesday due to a pricing error in the system though lol.
found a EH taylor small batch in a rough area of colorado springs for 50 bucks randomly one day
This past weekend I traveled to MA and a 2017 Booker’s caught my eye. As I looked at it, I saw a lone EHT Rye out of the corner of my eye hidden behind 8 Small Batches. Never seen Rye in the wild before. Snatched it up
Nice. I've only seen it twice...I thought once but when I was looking through my finds list I saw it on there. I passed it up at $75, gonna check back with that other store though. I had a pour the other night at a bar in a rocks glass and it was quite nice, however at that price I'd take Willett 4yr. Nice spice and fairly fruity, reminded me of Pikesville but spicier and a bit brighter. Have you tried it yet?
I was in OR last week and was very tempted to buy a bottle of EHT SiB I spotted on the shelf. I have the SB and the Rye.
@@theswag5997 Ditto, I've seen the SiB a few times but it's $70 and I almost always hear that it's the same or WORSE than the SmB. I'm not feeling taking bad odds to try and get a honey barrel. Maybe once I run out of new things to buy...or if I hear about more honey barrels.
@@Fred_Gilbert The SiB was $65 in OR, but I was weighed down by bottles of Westland and Westward. If I ever find it at my local Total Wine for under $60, I'll probably pull the trigger.
@@theswag5997 Never heard of those, something local i presume? Yeah I would too, our Total is pretty new though so they're lower on the list for some allocations. The app says it's $55 here so if I see it there I'd take it for that.
Always check Walmart. There was one that had Blanton’s occasionally
Saw Heaven Hill had Old fitz 16 on a Wednesday night. In less than an hour we were packed and on the road for a 10hr road trip. Drove straight thru got the HH by opening and was able to buy 2 bottles of Old Fitz16. We decided to take the longer way home and drive thru Ohio, due to seeing Ohio. Gets the Weller! After 18 successful store but over 30 stores in total. We ended up with a car of red and a case of green. All this was one bother at a time from each store. I bought one husband bought one. We also ended up with 2 green handles. Now we have enough ton to worry about not finding any as well as some for our company Christmas party! 🤣🤣 love traveling for the hunt! It’s fun. We are friends with our local liquor store owners and he can’t even get anything for him personally! 😩
I unfortunately have to go with option 1 cause i live out in the middle of now where. Some of the prices are atrocious but gotta do what you gotta do.
I found McKenna and Old Fitz while traveling. Can't find either locally.
P.
I did not realize there was that much whiskey in the town where cell phone reception ends before heading north to TC. Pretty orange flowers though on Eastman. I do option 5 as well, just down the entire I-75 to Florida, as well into Canada. It may seem hokey, but I got 4 bottles of WA 107 for $32 CAD each! That is like a 5th grader's daily lunch money each in the US!
I have my father on the look out for 107 in Ohio, recently got me 3 bottles!
Best success has been store loyalty. Local store gives you points for every dollar you spend. When Rare bottles come they give them a point value based on rarity, you cash in those points and buy it at retail price. Purchased a Old Fitz 13, Michters Barrel Strength Rye, Michters Barrel Strength Bourbon yesterday by cashing in my points at the right time.
Yea we wish we had stores that did this. Sam and Bobby have a store that does that too and it sounds like a great time.
Walked into a random small town liquor store and bought a Yamazaki 18. It was next to a Jim Bean and an Evan Williams.
You grab it?
Of course! (Overpaid though)
Living in the UK there’s only 1 option and that’s to pay through the nose. Very limited bourbon on general sale, Jim beam white label and occasional wild turkey in the supermarkets. Most of the bourbon I get is through specialist stores and online. Mark up is ridiculous. Just paid £80 for an early times bib 😳( Sean I hope it’s going to be worth it)
Love this video. I love talk about hunting and bourbon pricing.
Came across you guys recently. Enjoy the content so I subscribed. EHT 18 year in June was announced yesterday by BT. I'm assuming that one is gonna be incredibly difficult to get. Thanks for the videos!
Yea we'll do all the black.magic voodoo we can to try and see one. It'll be a heck of a long shot because we dont see the rest of the taylor line around here much. Also, glad to have you here!
Drove around half the day and left with only a nikka, crazy how rare these are getting
Looking to invest in whiskey as in parking cash into something else. Any recommendations?
Still my favs, fellas! ....still my favs
Corky Taylor is a (distant) friend of mine. Crazy good guy. I haven't had the Peerless bourbon yet, but the rye, I like. (Except for the price point... but I understand, when starting back up!)
Good review, and keep kicking ass. Too many folks come off as pretentious, and you ain't it! If we ever meet, first dram (or three) are on me!
Ignore the big liquor stores that list their stuff on Instagram or on a website, ignore the Total Wine & More’s, the Costco’s anything well known, etc. you’ll only rarely get anything there unless in a raffle or you’re a big spender they know by name and so hold stuff for. Best way I’ve found rarer bourbon for relatively cheap prices is at smaller, random liquor stores, both in bad areas and good areas. Many of these smaller store owners are not hip to true market prices for bourbon because their revenue comes from cigarettes, lotto tickets and beer, so they just sell bourbon close to MSRP or a little higher, simply because they don’t know any better. I’ve found Stagg Jr, Weller, and surprisingly Elijah Craig barrel proof batches from 2017-18 all within the past 2 months way below local market prices and either at or just a little higher than MSRP at random small liquor stores. It takes time to hunt but you can find gold this way.
Good videos, guys. Been having trouble getting into lotteries.
Yea, this year a lot of the ones we go to we're cancelled cause of Rona too
You guys interested in some Rebecca creek to review?
Definitely! Email us at bourbonjunk@gmail.com
I kept thinking my cat was meowing through this video and finally I paused it and looked over and he was asleep. 🤣
Hear are some other ways
1- Facebook groups,
2. US Whiskey Auctions HDH, Skinner, Acker Merrill,
3. UK Auctions SWA Whisky Auctioneer,
4 US sites that ship Caskers, Mad, KL,
5 European sites that ship - The Whiskey exchange.
6 Bottle-spot if it ever comes back.
Also instagram, but only someone verifird not rip you off.
I will be driving to MN seeing that I found a bottle that I want over there online.
I know how; 1st you hit the lottery. 2ed you get some one to go to all the different distillery locations and just buy it all
Acquired an almost 50 year old possibly older unopened bottle of
Wild Turkey from my grandparents.
Sucks being from Pa, our Liquor store system sucks, availability of even stuff that is common elsewhere, is very lacking
Where do I even find bourbons on secondary? Facebook? Online retailers? Trading forums?
What Willet is that back there??
So this is a super old video, but I think you're talking about the 10 year green top in the middle
With all the trade war shit going on do you think we will see more of the harder to find bourbon that was allocated to be shipped to other countries start showing up here on the US market or will the distillery’s just sit on it ?
I'd be willing to bet distributors will sit on it.
Bourbon Junkies I live right in the middle of most of the major distillery’s in Kentucky . I have been getting bourbon from local liquor stores that I’ve been doing business with for years , most of them are close friends . I’ve never bought bourbon on a secondary market I’ve all ways been able to find most anything that I was looking for , a lot of which I’ve heard you say you can’t find where you live you can find here if your willing to
Shady liquor stores are the best!!!
Totally agree. My best finds here in southern CA are from shady small liquor stores.
i got 3 Michter's toasted sour mash for $43 each. drinking one, traded another. sitting on the third one. (painful)
Costco is a good place as well. Got a Weller there recently and 2 of my 3 BTAC bottles came from there.
So....is there a worthwhile secondary market?
I would say that "worthwhile" depends on the bottle, price, and the person. I've paid 180 for a Boone County Single Barrel, Barrel Strength Store pick. Best bottle I own and would spend that again in a heartbeat. Would I spend the $350 they are asking for the same bottle now? Not a chance.
We find secondary worth it when bottles don't come to your state and you can't get them otherwise (especially when those bottles are near retail on secondary because they aren't rare in the states they are in)
Another, somewhat unethical, way that I've managed to get rare whisk(e)y is finding a restaurant/bar where the staff isn't all that knowledgeable about product. I was getting pours of George T. Stagg for Stagg Jr. prices.
That's not unethical at all! If you find it and it's cheap buy it up!
@@BourbonJunkies Honor among whisk(e)y hunters.
Team Dan this episode!! Go pac go
I just found 5 bottles of black maple hill original Kentucky bourbon before it moved to Oregon
What's the tag on those?
Bourbon Junkies do u mean what does the label look like? It is a white label with red lettering
Price tag, we have a couple sit on a shelf around here due to price
I grew up in Imlay City, are you guys anywhere near that ?
We're about an hour and a half away from there
Spend a lot at a certain liquor store, kiss their ass, and hope they get you something nice when you ask for it.
Look at that beautiful green and gold shirt!!! So you live in Michigan, you always talk about randy moss 🤢 and now wearing a packers shirt. What is it man? Lol, are you a yupper??? That’s the only way it’ll make sense? 😊 loving the channel and just found it and hooked, that’s why I’m flipping through all of the vids!
I make cookies for my LLS employee every Tuesday. I get first pick of everything. And never leave liquor store empty handed!!
We didn't think of that one! Solid idea there!
Are you guys from Wisconsin? If so, where?
Michigan
Dan, you're my favorite... it's settled. GO PACK GO!
Go Pack Go!!
Hell naw fam
Sucks when the state runs all the stores (PA). Feel like the whole relationship thing is out the window there.
Ya man. PA blows chunks like that. I tried option # whatever it was to get in the car and I took a trip to NJ. Planned out a 3 store loop that turned into a 5 store loop. My wallet was much lighter afterwards, but I came home with Willets, Rowan Creek, Redbreast 12, Michters American, Eagle Rare, Henry McKenna BiB, Maker's FAE-01, and the creme de la creme for me was Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B520. There were lots more I left on the shelf, but my starter whiskey collection went from 5-6 bottles to 14+ in one day of driving around. It was pretty cool. I also found my store I'll be trying to build that relationship with. It's 45 minutes one-way, but there's no getting anything the whole state of PA can buy otherwise.
@@WhiskeyAmadan_OH my grandparents live in NJ so I always stop by the liquor store for stuff. Got a huge bottle of Buffalo Trace, Old Forester 1920, and a bottle of kilbeggan 18 year for my dad. Always a good time.
No super crazy stories, but I did randomly walk into a liquor store while I was travelling one time and found Weller Special Reserve for $23 so I bought two bottles as that was what I could afford at the time. Plus the store had a cap of 2 bottles per customer. Opened one but drinking it slowly, sitting on the other because they're the best thing I have right now. Live in the middle of nowhere (OH) so it's hard to find stuff!
Yea apparently whiskey is just going the way of allocated everything
11:03 wtf is George C Stagg?
I can find rare whiskey every day. But the problem is that I'm not going to spend 3-10 times the amount that it was originally worth.
Lol I’m sorry but if I’m dropping $100 on bourbon, I want the full bottle...not a 6 way split of a bottle. I totally get why some people would do it, but I can buy a Blanton’s AND a Stagg Jr for that price here in Oregon. 100 bucks for 1/6th of a Taylor single barrel...hard pass.
To me if you can find it in a liquor store it's not rare. I'm in Kentucky and got into collecting bourbon by picking old barns and estate sales.
This is cool, but how do I know a rare find if I find it?
If Google for bourbon release calenders, most stuff is listed there with when they come out. Outside of the regulars (Btac, pappy's, Parker's heritage, ect) "rare" is kind of subjective.
I found a bottle of Wild Turkey Cornerstone rye for retail one day. It sat on the self for 6 months before I bought it
Worth, solid bottle right there
I really enjoy it! It’s my most expensive bottle at this point. Rarest one I personally own as well
Hey there!👋🏽
Was the E.H.Taylor bottle you guys were drinking from, the "Four Grain"?
Im curious because I have one...☺️
Thanks for the great tips!👍🏽
Yes it was, we took it down to some friends in Texas and killed the bottle. It's one of my favorite whiskeys still to this day.
@@BourbonJunkies
👍🏽😂😂😂😂..atta'Boy
..Considering opening mine.🔥.thank you!
Cheers!🥃🥃
Number 1…. Work at a liquor store where your good friend/roommate is the store manager
As someone who handles a store's whiskey allocations, please don't walk into a store you've never been to, ask for Blanton's, Weller or whatever and then just walk out if they don't have it. I believe this is a main contribution to stores raising their prices. Be cool, buy something else, shoot the shit and while you're making your purchase ask if they ever get allocated bottles. If they do, ask if they would give you a call next time they get something cool. After dealign with cherry pickers and noobs all week, the breath of fresh air will be appreciated and you will be surprised how far it gets you.
dusty dan mentioned he goes to estate sales
Gotta hit up those fancy places!
“Get your mouth on whiskey” LOL!!!!
Liking that shirt Dan
Now I understanding why you have a “Packers” shirt.
Btw does G stand for gay?
i dig your vids. im in china. californian. decided to get some barrel proofs and stuff. how can i tell if it is legit whiskey or fake chinese? can you msg me or direct me on that?
Not really sure to be honest. Don't know their import/export into China for a lot of brands
Not to be that guy, but you guys also forgot to mention; never call the store and ask directly for rare bottles. I don't know why people think it's a good idea, but I promise you that you will get told no every single time even if they have it. I work at a liquor store and I get at least 3 calls a day asking for Blantons or Pappy and it's very annoying. I dont have it and even if I did, I have other good bottles that people might be interested in if they were to just come look.
Yea that's never going to go anywhere. Just start telling people yes then act like you have no idea what they're talking about when they show up.
@@BourbonJunkies hell yeah, thank you
I’m late to this party but I just won a 9 year old fitz in state lottery.
Beginning killed me ....Sean like fuck your pocket book noobskis
As far as i know they sold that George t Stagg far as i know
Go Packers aye
I have a GTS and W Fp I dont even want lol
Gladly take the GTS off your hands 😂
Before these guys became dicks (or at least hid it well)
😅😅 Totally jk
but still #TeamSean